Q&A: Disclosure of psychiatric PHI

Q: Are there certain rules in place for the disclosure of psychiatric health information, as opposed to medical information that is considered PHI?

A: HIPAA doesn’t treat psychiatric PHI (except psychotherapy notes) any differently from other PHI. However, many state laws require patient authorization or consent for release of psychiatric information, except in emergency and certain other limited circumstances.

Editor's Note: This answer originally appeared in the December issue of Briefings on HIPAA.